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ed's yahoo oil article
I was always told Canola is no good, Vegetable oil is better, and olive oil. But olive oil is only good for you up to a certain temperature (so basically its better for you if you're drizzling it on.) We use safflower oil for high heat things at home.
Citi Field Catch of the Day, Beware!
eh.. go to shake shack.. so good!
What to do with Rose Water
we make that rose jam stuff at home. we use it for paan.. which is like an aftermint type thing. Its used a lot in our culture for ice cream, faloodas, drinks, etc. to make rose jam is really easy but just takes a long time.
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Mrs. Meyer's Super-Easy, Protein-Packed Couscous Casserole
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Israeli Couscous with Roasted Squash and Preserved Lemon
Posted by unfussyfare, November 10, 2009 at 2:55 PM
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
IMO the best places to buy spices are indian stores, and they're pretty affordable and you can get a huge bag. I've never heard of Penzey's, but typically the some of the farmers markets , but mostly the indian stores have pretty cheap spices.
ed's yahoo oil article
I was always told Canola is no good, Vegetable oil is better, and olive oil. But olive oil is only good for you up to a certain temperature (so basically its better for you if you're drizzling it on.) We use safflower oil for high heat things at home.
Citi Field Catch of the Day, Beware!
eh.. go to shake shack.. so good!
What to do with Rose Water
we make that rose jam stuff at home. we use it for paan.. which is like an aftermint type thing. Its used a lot in our culture for ice cream, faloodas, drinks, etc. to make rose jam is really easy but just takes a long time.
Seriously Italian: In Praise of Pecorino
i love pecorino di pienza.. i remember visiting pienza i love the cheese there, i dont know cheeses too well, but when i got pecorino romano, it didnt taste the same at all, there have got to be places that sell pecorino di pienza yummmm!
challenge: complicated diet
we're only avoiding white rice, we're indian, hence the fried food which we've limited a lot.
challenge: complicated diet
yea we're avoiding the rice dishes for the diabetes. even w/the veg diet.. there is still high cholestorol
Eaten at CitiField yet?
the tacos were alright, shake shack was great! all my friends loved the burgers. it was a great experience, and lots of options
Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 62: What Does a Serious Eater Do with Restaurant Leftovers?
agreed, whenever I'm traveling, I get my leftovers to go, and find someone who can use it.
Food-Themed Cake for Rachael Ray from Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken
wow i used to walk by this place all the time on the way to work, their window displays are amazing. I told myself if (andwhenever )i get married or any special occasion comes along i'd go to carlo's. Its about time I hear more about them, I always recommend them to friends who have special occasions.
Do you ever get a free lunch?
we get free lunches for seminars or lunch meetings very often, normally we use a restaurant or the cafeteria in our corporate park. why do you ask?
fish sauce replacement?
yea it is for religious reasons. awesome suggestions, thanks
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
I totally understand the allure of Kalustyan's with its coffers overflowing with every spice imaginable beautifully arranged in a Morrocan bazaar-like setting. But here's the dirty little secret--many of the chefs in NYC pass over Kalustyan's for the more sedate place next door, Food of India. In my more than a decade of cooking Indian food (and other ethnic foods) I have found Foods of India's spices to be more reliable in freshness, quality and price. Next time you're in the area give them a try.
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
I get mine at Penzeys Spices. They have a store close to where I live, in Menlo Park. They have jars that you can open up to smell each product that they offer. It's a really fun place to explore.
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
Get spices at middle eastern, hispanic, or asian grocery stores - it's much cheaper.
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
I go to the Spice House in Illinois for freshly ground Ceylon cinnamon and soft cinnamon sticks. I like www.store.mustaphas.com for true Marrakech grown whole cumin seed and green anise seed. And for most general spices. I prefer Kalustyans for ground ginger and black and white peppercorns.
Ras el hanout is a problem because each Moroccan recipe has its own best blend. I'm still lookin'
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
Patel Brothers in Hicksville, Long Island, or the original store in Jackson Heights. Great prices on nuts, too.
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
Any Asian, Indian, or Middle Eastern market. I love Purpose Design on Etsy for pre-packaged spices to give as gifts.
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
Seattle people NEED to check out Big John's PFI (Pacific Food Importers). Tons of bulk spices/rice/beans/flours etc. and so cheap! The only thing I don't like about that store is their one pound minimum on cheeses, unless its $20+/lb.
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
Living in Brooklyn, I also go to Sahadi's. But unfortunately they recently did away with the bins (where you could buy as little or as much as you liked as you liked, or thought you could use) and now sell everything prepackaged (in their own packages). Even so its cheaper than anywhere else locally. But I also think they pared down there selection and don't seem to have the more unusual stuff anymore. I need to find an alternate!
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
I'm fairly amazed that after 45 comments no one has mentioned Indian grocery stores! I buy all my spices there - whole - and grind them myself (even cinnamon). They are cheap, fresh, and there's a great selection. Now if you want Italian seasonings or the like, that's not the place for it. But almost anything else - heck, yes - that's the place I go.
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
My favorite is Adriana's Caravan. The very helpful and enthusiastic owner had a booth in NYC's Grand Central Terminal for years until Penzey's outbid her for the space. In addition to a vast variety of superior spices, she sells a number of hard to find items - oils, beans, dried mushrooms (including a great porcini powder), rices, and a good selection of hot sauces:
http://www.littleviews.com/home/newyork/adriana_caravan.cfm
It's a small, owner operated business that sells other products along with the house brand, and I always appreciated that she dispensed great cooking suggestions and advice when she had the GCT store.
Though I do duck into Penzy's in Grand Central when I'm there and in need of something, I'm an enthusiastic supporter of Adriana.
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
sahadi's in brooklyn is my first stop for spices.
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
i always go to the indian and asian grocery stores - you can pay almost nothing for a lot of high-quality hard-to-find spices.
Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
Spice House in Chicago is by far the best! Forget Penzeys!!
Seriously Italian: In Praise of Pecorino
Late to the party as usual!
I brought home a small whole pecorino val d'Orcia when I returned from Italy a few weeks ago. I ate it slowly (well, at first anyway), at room temperature with some fantastic preserves.
It was the best cheese I can EVER recall eating. And now it's gone.
ed's yahoo oil article
I don't like canola (rapeseed) oil. To me it has a funny taste. Corn oil has an off-putting taste for me as well, but I can live with it. For low temp cooking it is hard to beat olive oil. For deep frying, something you should not do very often, I find that peanut oil performs the best. Lard is great if you like an old fashioned flavor, but I never use it. Sesame oil has no flavor whatsoever unless it is pressed from seeds that were toasted beforehand and the maker did not go crazy with the filtration. Grape seed and walnut oils are great if your income is high enough, but not really a mainstay if you are in the working class. Butter is another great low-temp cooking oil, but for health reasons, it should be an indulgence, not a mainstay.
ed's yahoo oil article
Why are people talking about making brownies with oil? Ew. Brownies should be made with butter only.
More on topic, I really would like to hear Ed's response to this... what studies link canola to vitamin E deficiency and heart disease?
ed's yahoo oil article
Regardless of any bogus health claims, I really don't care for canola for most cooking applications. In deep-frying, it has relatively low smoking point and takes on a fishy taste after only one use. In stir frying, it leaves a gummy coating in my wok. I will not use it for mayonnaise either as it sometimes comes out of the bottle smelling of fish.
As a neutral all-purpose oil I much prefer sunflower. For stir-frying I always use peanut oil (the kind that actually smells like peanut). And for deep-frying I use a combination of sunflower/lard/tallow.
ed's yahoo oil article
I generally use canola oil when I want a neutral oil for cooking. I was always told it wasn't a bad oil. But I know how the tide turns on nutritional info so I'm open to all sources.
ed's yahoo oil article
Here is the nutritional data for canola oil, along with the data for olive oil, grapeseed oil, walnut oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil. Canola oil would appear to be higher in omega 6 than some other oils (but not the highest). However, it's also higher in omega 3 than some other oils as well.
I'm going to go eat a stick of cultured butter now. :)
ed's yahoo oil article
it's not that canola oil is "bad". It's actually better for cooking with then olive oil. Canola is higher in saturated fat which actually means it's better suited for cooking at higher temperatures. Olive oil, walnut oil and grapeseed oil (as well as flaxseed) are unstable at higher temperatures which actually destroys the bonds that make them mono and poly unsaturated fats. When you heat these oils, free radicals (uh-oh) can form. Here are some recommendations: oilve oil is fine for grilling/sauteing. for your brownies, you can stick with canola, sunflower, safflower or corn oil ( stay away from the generic vegetable oil). Buy olive oil in a dark colored bottle, preferably a mechnically pressed unrefined oil to get the most Omega 3 benefits. If you're using the oil for cooking, it's ok to use refined. For more information read Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill by Udo Erasmus.
ed's yahoo oil article
I guess its probably because its high in omega 6 oil and low in omega 3?
ed's yahoo oil article
Uh-Oh....sounds like SOMEONE got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning !!!
ed's yahoo oil article
I am interested to know more about Mr Levine's comments about Canola oil. In fact, I demand to know his sources. The internet is rife with misrepresentation about canola based on a deliberate obfuscation of the facts, and supprorted by no scientific evidence, while pointing to a worldwide conspiracy to poison the food chain. Meanwhile, credible governement and scientific bodies univerally praise canola's health benefits. You cannot contradict a mountain of established fact and not give a source, or a reason, or even a shred of anecdotal evidence. So how about it Mr Levine? What are your goddamn sources?!
ed's yahoo oil article
I learned a lot about oils in Alton Brown's book I'm Just Here for the Food. I recommend that to anyone interested. I liked Ed's information on Grapeseed and Walnut oils. With all these health-related food-sciency type of updates on the subject, I suppose I should upgrade my cabinet to the world of "fancier" oils rather than just stick by my extra virgin olive oil, olive oil, and canola.
ed's yahoo oil article
FYI...here's the article:
http://food.yahoo.com/blog/edlevineeats/24831/the-best-oil-for-your-cooking
Recent Posts
Recent Favorites
Mrs. Meyer's Super-Easy, Protein-Packed Couscous Casserole
Posted by LIFEunscripted, November 10, 2009 at 8:55 AM
Israeli Couscous with Roasted Squash and Preserved Lemon
Posted by unfussyfare, November 10, 2009 at 2:55 PM
Braised Tofu in Spicy Sesame, Peanut Sauce.
Posted by somaR, November 10, 2009 at 5:55 PM
The Crisper Whisperer: Acorn Squash Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce
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Seriously Asian: Thai Curries, Part One: Yellow
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Bi Cuon Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Spring Rolls)
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French in a Flash: Drunken Angel Hair with Leeks and Cream
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IMO the best places to buy spices are indian stores, and they're pretty affordable and you can get a huge bag. I've never heard of Penzey's, but typically the some of the farmers markets , but mostly the indian stores have pretty cheap spices.